Beautiful sunny day at my local patch, Huntley Meadows Park, a couple of miles outside of the Washington, DC Beltway. Leaves are largely gone so it was a good day to take up the usual regional quest; to see 7 species of woodpecker in a day. Only once have I succeeded and I know that it takes time, habitat and luck. Red-Bellied and Northern Flicker were easy, each in some numbers. Both are handsome birds and usually no problem to see. Then Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers land on a dead snag for nice close up views. This is a bird which sometimes is seen in some numbers but others is not seen at all. A Pileated Woodpecker screams by, no mistaking that one. Need some nice mature trees to support their passion for carpenter ants.
The most difficult of the seven local wp's is the Red-Headed regionally declining and locally common in only a few area strongholds but an obliging bird flies into a tree in the marsh not far from an uninterested Bald Eagle. Unmistakeable! Finally on the way out of the park a Downy. Our most common wp but I almost missed it today. However, the Hairy has definately been missed. Usually see about 15-20 downies for every Hairy Woodpecker except in the most mature forest but today there were none available for my viewing. Still my first 6 of the 7 day of the year and enough to keep me trying.
I'm curious what other personal quests birder's have. Life birds are always nice but not always available in your personal patch. In this part of the country depending on the season there are many such goals. One Hundred Species is a difficult goal for most of us and one I've accomplished only on full day trips in good habitat in the spring (Super birders sometimes toy with 200). 20 Warbler species or ten or more sparrow species in a migration day is quite a feat (I've had 17 warblers, 9 sparrows as tops. Bottom line is that birders often have standards of presumed excellence they hope to meet and often don't just to keep them going. I'm curious about the goals other people have.
The most difficult of the seven local wp's is the Red-Headed regionally declining and locally common in only a few area strongholds but an obliging bird flies into a tree in the marsh not far from an uninterested Bald Eagle. Unmistakeable! Finally on the way out of the park a Downy. Our most common wp but I almost missed it today. However, the Hairy has definately been missed. Usually see about 15-20 downies for every Hairy Woodpecker except in the most mature forest but today there were none available for my viewing. Still my first 6 of the 7 day of the year and enough to keep me trying.
I'm curious what other personal quests birder's have. Life birds are always nice but not always available in your personal patch. In this part of the country depending on the season there are many such goals. One Hundred Species is a difficult goal for most of us and one I've accomplished only on full day trips in good habitat in the spring (Super birders sometimes toy with 200). 20 Warbler species or ten or more sparrow species in a migration day is quite a feat (I've had 17 warblers, 9 sparrows as tops. Bottom line is that birders often have standards of presumed excellence they hope to meet and often don't just to keep them going. I'm curious about the goals other people have.
